By Blood, Love, and Iron
by transcendantviewer
Summary: Love is a strange thing... Everyone feels it in their own way... Everyone makes mistakes as they search for it... And Everyone... Can find it... Currently on Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

The following story is an idea that I had a while ago and finally decided to write and publish. It's based on several characters in Dungeons & Dragons that my friends and I have created and I decided that they would make the perfect characters for this type of development… Warning: Mature content. Not intended for immature readers. I do not own D&D.

Chapter One: Simple Memories…

After several hours of travel and about twenty minutes of self-contemplation, Falchion, the Warforged, was sitting quietly to himself, using one of his crafting relics to create several stone trinkets to pass the time as his allies slept. All of his allies were asleep except for one; Tianna. Tianna was a Changeling; a shape-shifter, and a good one at that. She'd gotten herself into and out of so many calamitous situations in her years with the rest of the group that it was obvious that she had a right to adventure with them. She could break into a vault and steal the contents so quietly, that the shadows sometimes made more noise than her- congratulating her on a job well done. She could execute a job so seamlessly that no one would ever know she was there, or she could escape by the skin of her teeth; she was that good. She'd mastered the art of altering not just how she moved through combat but how she worked outside of it. She slept only about four hours per day and only when it was light. She could move with such grace that even the reclusive, usually uninterested Warforged would be ensnared. But her abilities transcended that of a mere shape-changer… she was one of the greatest Shadow Dancers that the world had ever seen (or had never seen). Falchion was on the other side of the spectrum, but he was in no way a bumbling, flailing idiot- he was not graceful, and he didn't try to be. Grace was Tianna's forte and everyone in the party knew it. Falchion's job was to run in, cause enough of a distraction to get the enemy's attention and give the others the opportunities they each needed to work in the fight.

These two in particular were wonderful in combat. Falchion did his job and Tianna did hers. Elegant and precise. Their tag-team style fighting worked to everyone's advantage; granting Shale the opportunity to land a single, constricting grasp on his opponent and subdue them while the others beat them into submission and offering Jabeddo the chance to stun, incapacitate, or even kill the target. A strange one, Jabeddo is… He's a Gnome who works along the lines of combat, altering the enemies and aiding his allies in interesting ways. Shale worked to quicken an engagement by restricting the enemies options on the battlefield.

The two sat quietly for several moments, catching friendly glances at one another and grinning politely. Falchion was hard at work creating a new stone toy to occupy his time.

"So… This is what you do while we're sleeping?" Tianna asked, her milky eyes sinking down onto the stone in falchion's hands.

"Yeah… Not too impressive for a soldier to spend all his free time making toys, is it?" he asked rhetorically, glancing up at her, nodding to a flat stone that he'd smoothed into a seat across from him. Tianna obliged, sitting only two or three feet from the metal man.

"Well, it's like they say… Boredom is the true weakness of my race…" Falchion said in a low voice, beginning to inspect his craftsmanship. Tianna leaned in and took the simple toy, looking over the details as she turned it over and over in her hands.

"You are actually very good at making things… Although I'm not entirely sure that that's a good thing… Nice work though" She said as she placed the toy down. She locked her eyes into his orange orbs of light, smiling softly.

"…*Sigh*… Would you like me to make you something, Ti?" Falchion asked in a tired voice, cracking the tight links of metal in his neck. Tianna perked up, her once teasing eyes now resembling those of a young girl. " Heh heh… Alright… I'll make you something special…"

Tianna giggled like a child and sat patiently for her present. Several minutes passed as Falchion molded her a single, intricate stone broach with several crudely shaped gems buried in it. He stood up, wiping some stone shavings off of himself. He gently pinned it to her cloak, removing the more intricately decorated one that she'd been wearing previously. When he was finished, he began to stand up, being caught by her hand as he rose. She pulled herself up to his ear, whispering almost inaudibly into the small hole in the side of his metallic head.

"Thank you…" she said, kissing him on the side of the face. He let out a soft chuckle, pulling her up to her feet as he rose to his.

"I'm glad you like this hunk of metal's craftsmanship, I've been working on those gems for a long while now and decided that I should put them to use in something nice…" Falchion said in a heartier chuckle. Tianna again kissed him on the side of the cheek, smiling in an even cuter manner.

"Thank you for this, Lance, I'll never forget this…" She replied, a sly smile gracing her soft, thin lips.

"How many times do I have to… *Sigh*… Yeah… You're welcome, pipsqueak… Just don't break it… Those gems were not easy to find…" Falchion resigned, giving up on his pointless retaliation.

"You know that I could get you some nice gems to work with…" Tianna teased, tip-toing around the large metallic man. Falchion sat back down again, sighing heavily and shaking his head dismissively.

"No, it's fine… I don't need any expensive gems… Takes the challenge out of making them look better myself! Besides… Didn't you already say you liked my handiwork?" he asked suspiciously. His question caught the colorless beauty off-guard.

"I… Uh …I didn't mean it like that!" she said in a panicked voice.

"And what did you mean?" Falchion teased, leaning forward.

"...I… just meant that it could look better! …No… Damn it!"

"And my work doesn't look good to you? Then why did you complement me just now?" he replied, his eyes growing more and more playful with the stuttering girl.

"…B-better gems would make it look more professionally done…"

"What, my work's not professional quality?" he replied again, his eyes wide with mock hurt and his finger pointing sluggishly to Tianna's new broach.

"I'm just going to stop talking now…" she blurted, her white flesh adopting a very slight pink tint as she shyly covered her face desperately.

"Ha! I'm just messing with you, kid! I knew what you meant…" Tianna looked into his eyes again, removing her hands from her face as anger welled up inside her. "…Easy, I was just having some fun, there's no need to get your feathers ruffled…" he patronized, waving her off dismissively, a satisfied grin on his face. Just then, Tianna's eyes turned an ominous red and started to glow as she faded into the shadows. She reappeared behind Falchion with a glowing, red dagger to his neck.

"And why would you poke fun at an assassin? Don't you know that's one of the easiest ways to get yourself killed?" she whispered in a half menacing-half seductive voice.

"And I'd be worried if I ever needed to sleep… Don't make threats YOU CAN'T KEEP!" Falchion shouted, throwing his hands up over his head and grabbing hold of the woman, pulling her from her feet and into his lap, her hands now restrained.

Tianna blinked several times, beginning to struggle as her confusion gave way to panic in the hands of the metal man. Falchion lifted her up by the waist and heavily plopped her down on his knee again, causing her to stop her thrashing, staring up at him with new-found confusion in her eyes.

"Now sit there and think about what you've done, little one!" he said in a fatherly voice, wagging a finger at the woman in his lap.

"Really?" she asked, giggling to herself, pivoting on his knee to face him again. "…You know… if you wanted… I could do a lot more than think while I'm here…" she replied, her lips now leaving condensation on the metal of his mouth. Falchion's eyes opened wide, the light from his eyes illuminating her pale face in tandem with the fire. Before long, his eyes softened and he rested his cold forehead against hers as he began to speak.

"And why would you do that… I ain't your type, missy… You use me for something like that and it'll be little more that assisted masturbation…" he answered in a smooth voice, releasing her as his eyes began to fade from their playfulness to a slightly more saddened dullness. Tianna looked at him with horrified eyes as she'd found his true weakness- it wasn't his simple intelligence, he was actually pretty sharp; and it wasn't his need for distraction, he was very skilled at what he did. Falchion's true weakness was the fact that he was only half alive… and his choice to protect others with his mechanized form was further diminishing that which was left… he wasn't really a man, only a machine cursed with a mind that could think and feel…

As the entirety of her realization dawned on her, Tianna could only stare apologetically into Falchion's eyes while he lifted her softly to her feet and walked away with his shoulders slumped downward and his eyes almost devoid of light. Several seconds passed as Tianna realized what had happened and shadow-walked to stand in front of him as he stepped slowly along.

"Falchion! Wait! Talk to me, please!" she shouted in a pained voice, concerned for her friend.

"Get out of my way, Tianna… I don't want to talk anymore…" he replied, his eyes glowing with a subtle amount of annoyance as he looked down at her.

"Please, just talk to me! …I don't like seeing you like this…" she said in a low, defeated voice, her eyes falling away from him.

"You want me to talk?! Fine! Come with me!" he shouted, taking her hand and dragging Tianna with him off farther from the camp.

They arrived at a small clearing with very few trees where Tianna placed a hand on an old tree and created an aura that caused the plants to grow in all directions around them and mold into a dome of tight branches.

"Now… tell me what's going on!" Tianna snapped, turning to her companion, noticing the return of his tired and defeated gaze as he looked down at her.

"…You should be able to guess as much after what was said…" he began with a sigh. "…Warforged are created, not born… so for us, there is nothing but life, war, and death… we cannot have children or even raise them! We're soldiers! …Every one of us…" He continued, slamming a heavy hand into his chest as he spoke, glaring at the changeling girl before him.

"If that were true, then why are you here? Why are you with us right now?! Why aren't you still in the military?! …Why would you care for me?" she asked, her voice fading off into a soft mumble.

"What was that? Speak up!" Falchion replied, taking hold of her cheeks firmly to pull her eyes to stay with his.

"I asked; why do you care about any of us if all your race does is carry out orders and fight?" she answered with a stern voice, lying to him as he grew impatient.

"Because when we fight alongside someone, we bond with them. What we feel on the battlefields is the closest thing to love most of us ever gets to experience!" Falchion shouted, his eyes glowing brightly, causing Tianna to stare at him with startled eyes and a slight blush.

"Then… where does the friendly bonding end and love begin?..." Tianna asked softly, looking up into his eyes.

"You'd have to tell me, 'cause I don't know…" he replied simply, looking away in a raspy voice.

Just like that, Tianna felt something inside snap and she began to cry, turning from her friend. Falchion noticed this and took hold of her arm pulling her into a hug, allowing her to cry into his chest.

"Th-then… what… am I… to you? …Just a fighting companion?" she shuttered, looking up at him.

"No… Not just a companion… there is something more that I feel… but I don't know what it is… I'm sorry, Ti…" Falchion said softly, releasing his grip on her. However, she tightened herself to his chest and continued to cry for several more moments, her eyes now a soft pink when she looked back up into his eyes again.

"I may not know exactly what it means to love, but I do know that I don't want to see you crying like that again, am I clear?" he asked, his eyes softening and his voice smooth and low. Tianna nodded at his words and smiled slightly, softening her expression to one of joyous reminiscence as she remembered how strange her friend often was. She giggled quietly to herself, gaining the constructed man's notice.

"What's so funny?" he asked forwardly, his eyes gleaming with unspoken scorn as he actually knew what she'd laughed about.

"Oh, nothing…" Tianna said, her eyes mischievous and shining.

"Yeah… sure… like I believe that…" Falchion said, walking with her to the edge of the enclosure of plants. She rubbed one of the trees and all of the foliage bent and slithered back into their natural shape, allowing them passage. Within a minute, they were back at camp, only taking enough of distance them and their allies to not disturb them as they spoke.

"You think they noticed?" Tianna asked slightly nervously, eying the camp. No one was awake or even stirred, their bedrolls almost motionless aside from slight movement from breathing.

"Guess not… Oblivious bastards… I swear, if I wasn't here to keep watch, they would have been killed off in their sleep a long time ago…" Falchion muttered. Tianna heard what he'd said and began giggling softly, just loud enough for him to hear but not loud enough to wake the others. The two soon returned to their seats and started a more formal conversation.

"So… What 'cha makin' now?" Tianna asked with wide eyes, leaning over to rest her hand in her lap as she smiled up at Falchion.

"Stone music box. Please be quiet so I can tune it…" he replied, putting in the small piece of finely crafted crystal to be used as the musical device. "…There! …That wasn't as hard as I thought…" he continued triumphantly, pulling his hand delicately out of the small device.

"Wow… you really are good at this! I didn't think you could be so calm and precise!" Tianna remarked, eliciting a glare from Falchion as he set the proper torque on the spring and closed the device, winding the now completed music box. Several repeating clicks followed by one loud one signified that the tension was set properly and when he released the key that wound the contraption, it created a soft, relaxing chime that continued on into a single, soothing melody that echoed hauntingly in the dark air of night. Tianna could not hold back tears at the song that was being played; it wasn't just beautifully simple and elegant, but it held an emotional significance for the young, sultry changeling girl. It was the very same song that she'd heard being played in a house that she and her allies during the Last War had cleared out after dealing with the residents. Her allies consisted of several other changelings and an old friend of hers; the same friend that had now constructed the music box and was now holding it in his colossal hands as gingerly as a new-born bird. Falchion placed a hand on Tianna's shoulder and rubbed lightly with his thumb, calling her eyes to lock with his and her tears to slow momentarily, her expression hardening just enough for to keep the burning water in her eyes from spilling out before she could speak.

"I can't… ho-how… did… y-you…" she stammered, losing control of her sobs as her vision was slowly distorted by the smoldering tears behind her eyes.

"Remembering is a pain that we all face… I'm sorry…" Falchion said solemnly, his eyes softer than she'd ever seen them before. She went stiff with confusion and surprise, staring almost emotionlessly into Falchion's eyes. Hard, confusing moments passed as they stared at one another, trying to completely comprehend the other's feelings and the events unfolding before them.

"That was a time that I didn't remember until you brought it back up…" Tianna replied, her hands tightened into fists. Her voice was soft and sharp, cutting at Falchion's ears with every syllable, causing his already softened eyes to grow slightly kinder as he recognized the level of pain in her eyes when their eyes met.

"Tianna… I'm so sorry for doing this… It's just… Life is all we have ideally, so we should spend it free of our pain… But we should never forget what sparked that pain; merely embrace its existence…" He said in a near whisper, taking his eyes from hers as the soft melody of the music box ended on a single, well-timed note that left a lingering sorrow in its wake.

"No… You're right… The past must never be forgotten… It happened for a reason, and I intend to find out that reason…" Tianna muttered to herself, gaining Falchion's attention yet again.

Tianna noticed the warforged's attention and locked eyes with him as well, granting a response to his silent reply. "I merely wish to know why we had to kill everyone in an entire village, is all…" she said coldly, her muscles hardening into rigid structure for her to stand upon.

"Tianna… Don't be that way… Such an angered expression doesn't suit you… Here… I'll change the song and we'll have a time all to ourselves. How does that sound?" After his words, Tianna's features softened and she looked back up into his eyes, her face now relaxed and free of rage. Several seconds pass as her eyes adopt a hint of confusion and she opens her mouth to speak but no words come out. "It's the least that you deserve after everything that's happened tonight…" Falchion said, removing the piece of metal that created the music and put in a new one. "…Now… What was that song that you told me about?...You said that your father used to play it for you…" he asked, placing in a new piece of studded metal. He wound up the key and placed it in Tianna's hands, holding her fingers to the key as to prevent the song from playing.

"Th-there's… no way… H-how did you remember that?" she asked, looking down into the music box, her eyes glazing over with tears.

"Ahh… That's right… You called it… Mad World… Correct?" As Falchion looked down to her face, he noticed that she was crying again, and placed a hand on hers, further holding the music box's song at bay. A few of Tianna's tears dripped free of her swimming, milky eyes and onto the archaic music box.

Tianna released the key to the device and held it weakly in her hands, her entire upper body racked by emotional convulsions. Falchion's hands took to her shoulders and she mechanically raised her face to meet his gaze. The melody started up in a slow tune of rhythmic notes as the twisting dial pulled the piece of punched metal over the fingered piece that resonated with sweet songs. As the fingers vibrated and released their beautiful notes, Tianna felt a series of heavy, insurmountable thumps in her chest and involuntarily lurched forward into another hug with the metallic man, her tears flowing freely now.

"Oh, Fal, I just miss him so much!" Tianna mumbled in a defeated voice into his chest.

"I know, Ti… I know…" Falchion replied, rubbing her lower back smoothly and resting his chin on top of her head reassuringly. Tianna snuggled tighter into the embrace, letting out the last of her pain and warming at the feeling of Falchion's energies flowing throughout his body.

"…*Sniffle* *Sniffle*… Thanks… I-I needed that…" Tianna said softly, rubbing her eyes as she stepped back from the massive constructed man.

"Yeah… well… Just stop crying… Gonna make me rust…" Falchion replied in a quiet voice that was purposefully loud enough for her to hear, causing Tianna to giggle lightly, rubbing her eyes again. "…And don't let me catch you crying like that again or I you won't get to ride on my shoulder anymore…" he continued, wagging a finger at the young girl playfully. Tianna giggled even louder, soon falling to the ground in uncontrollable laughter, holding her sides. When her laughter subsided, she got up onto her feet, still giggling and faced her friend.

"Woo… I needed that… Thanks, _Lance…_" she said snidely, stepping forward and kissing her friend's cheek again and skipping away with a smile on her face. Falchion simply shook his head and went back to his stone working.

End Chapter One: Simple Memories

So how was it, guys? Did you enjoy this chapter? I think it turned out nice, and I am going to start out on the next chapter soon… I may even kick it out quickly if enough people read it… And don't worry, I'm working on the next chapter for A New Life too, I just felt like I needed a break from that story for a while… See you guys later!


	2. Unvented Yearnings

Chapter 1 hasn't seen many views and I thought that if I upload more chapters, more people might like to take a look at it…

Chapter 2: Unvented Yearnings: Begin

Several hours had passed since the long, endearing talk between Falchion and Tianna and the entire group was now beginning to stir from slumber and commence in their daily routines. The Stonechild Monk, Shale, as he's been called, was meditating, training his body for the potential challenges in the day. Being trained in the arts of the Shadow Sun Ninja, he was invaluable to the team in a plethora of ways; he could harm enemies in ways that were difficult to fathom with negative energies and then use that energy to heal the other members of the team; not to mention he was one of the heartiest members of the party. If need be, he could take a beating far greater than Falchion ever could, though that is not his role in a team engagement. Falchion turned from his stone working and nodded to the Stonechild as he passed, looking back to the others of the group. The Gnome was sitting in a small bed roll of his own design, cradling a wand what he believed to be lightning. Falchion looked forward and stared at Tianna as she began to practice with her favored sword and dagger, sparring with her shadow. She glanced over at him and snapped her fingers, allowing her shadow to return to the darkness and wait for future orders. She walked over to him and sat down on the smoothed stone across from him, smiling sweetly.

"Hey, Tin Man…" she said teasingly, her hand drifting to the new stone and gem broach on her cloak.

"Hello, Tianna… Something that you needed?" he asked, looking back to his work. His large fingers moved skillfully over the slowly sculpting piece of stone. Tianna looked at his hands, silently admiring his precision as he carved it with his fingers.

"Nope… Just waiting…" she replied, leaning back and crossing her legs. She slowly repositioned herself in her seat until she was upside down, her head low enough for her hair to nearly touch the ground.

"Having fun?" Falchion asked, his eyes turning to a soft, dim yellow. Tianna looked up at him and closed her eyes, grinning happily at him.

"I always enjoy hanging out with you… You're the only one that can tolerate me…"

"Is that right… Looks like I'm going to have a chat with the rest of our party in a little while… In the meantime, is there something I can do for you, or are you content just sitting around?" he replied, turning to the rest of their team before looking back at her upside down face. Tianna again grinned happily at the Warforged, simply content relaxing with him while she could.

"Alright then… Here…" He said, tossing Tianna the music box from earlier that night. She caught it easily enough and pulled it down to her face to further inspect it. Her eyes widened before she tightened them closed and wound up to throw the small box into the surrounding woods. "Ah, ah, ah… Tianna… Before you do that, check the music cylinder…" Falchion said, wagging one of his large fingers at the startled girl. She did, and was surprised by what she saw. On the side of the cylinder were the words "Changeling Lullaby" raised along the side where the axel spun and turned the cylinder. "…Your father built that music box and told me to hold on to it to play for you while we were at war… He-

-You… Bastard…" Tianna interrupted, her eyes overflowing with tears as she slowly shifted herself to sit normally. "…You never told me you knew my father… When!? When did you meet him!?"

"I should have told you… but your father and I didn't want you to think that your only friend was built to be your friend… He made me to protect you while you were growing up… But he told you that I was just another refugee from the Last War…" Falchion explained, setting down his tools and looking softly at her as Tianna thought to herself.

"Damn it… DAMN IT!" she shouted, beginning to shake and sliding off of the seat and onto the ground around it. "Was there anything else about you that I didn't know?" she mumbled, sobbing.

"No… everything else that you know about me is the truth. Tianna, I'm still the same person… I just have a different origin than you thought…" he explained, staring at her with dull eyes. Without saying a word, Tianna began to wind the music box, causing it to play. The melody was exactly the same as the one that Falchion made for her several hours earlier, only this one was sweeter and crisper, and more painful for the young changeling. Falchion stepped over to her, now standing over her as she wept. Tianna noticed his shadow and looked up to him, her eyes slowly becoming red again.

"Come here…" he said softly, kneeling down next to her. She leapt into his arms and began hugging him, still crying.

"You've always been there for me… Please… Don't ever leave me…" she pleaded, holding tightly to the metal man's shoulders.

"We've been through wars together, after that… there's nothing besides death that can keep me from doing my job… And death be damned, I'm never going to stop protecting you! What I feel towards you is too strong to let me leave you..." Falchion replied, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and rubbing her upper back comfortingly. Tianna looked up onto his now slightly sparkling eyes, noticing how strong the aura of emotion permeated his expressionless features was.

"Wha…What?... Does that mean you love me?" she asked, gently wiping her pink eyes.

"I'm still not sure, Ti, but I can say that whatever this feeling is, it makes me want to do this…" he replied, pulling her hack into a hug, this time, his forehead pressing to hers. She blushed at the embrace, her eyes widening before some internal desire forced her to bend her neck and lock her lips to the front of his metal, unmoving face. Falchion understood what she wanted and accepted it, turning his head to allow her a better exploitation of his solid features. The light in his eyes faded, now to a complete darkness, and his metal hands held tightly to her upper and lower back. The pain that Tianna had been feeling ever since her conversation with her Warforged companion faded away as she realized that in his own, confused and confusing way, just confessed to her that he was falling in love with her.

She cuddled up in his arms, her legs sliding up from the ground as she repositioned herself into a seated position much like that of a baby in his arms. Her eyes met his as he illuminated them and began to shuffle to stand without having to set her down; he succeeded in this and walked with her, comfortable in his arms to her bedroll and equipment. He set her down gently, his eyes turning to a vibrant gold that shimmered in the morning light. Tianna felt a burning in her chest as she fought the urge to kiss her Warforged friend again, deciding that it was unfair to the others if their group's Tin Man was getting all of her affections. Just as she had this thought, however, the gnome popped up in front of her, his thick, pocketed jacked not making a sound despite the amount of equipment inside.

"So… You've finally gotten that hunk of metal to like you, eh? Glad to see that you got what you wanted!" he said in a light-hearted tone, standing on his toes as to be able to look closer at her face. She turned from his gaze, blushing brightly and stuttering for words.

"M-m-me? Wha-wha-what are y-you talking ab-bout?..." she panicked, trying to hide her crimson cheeks.

"I'm talkin' 'bout you and the Tin Can! My mind may be cluttered with ideas and long, trailing thoughts, but I see love clear as day, young one… And you pine over him like a cat in heat! It's obvious!" he replied, his eyes shining with enjoyment. Tianna blushed brightly as red and pink overtook her softened features. She was about to pick up the little man and shake him with fury as her blush subsided when a rustling shook in the trees. Tianna looked every which way, tracking the strange movements as they happened. Falchion was not far behind and had his Great sward at the ready as he came to stand next to her at the ready. One more loud rustle occurred and then a hollow thud followed as something fell from one of the trees surrounding the camp and the sound of Jabeddo laughing wildly. The others looked down at the cackling Gnome and he looked up at them.

"I didn't think that was gonna hit! Come on, let's go check out what that thing was…" he said in a heavy chuckle, leading the party. They soon came up to a downed man with dark green skin and vibrant green eyes and hair wearing light armor and carrying several weapons on his back. Jabeddo had thrown a canister containing a sedative so potent that it could drop anything that breathed it in, and the glass vial broke on the man's foot, sticking on his skin and continuously creating a vapor that could spread to anyone nearby him. Falchion walked ahead of the others and picked up the man and walked over to the stream and dunked him and himself into it to wash away the chemical. He walked back to the embankment and tossed the man onto the ground with a heavy thud. Jabeddo then walked up to him and wrapped up his hands and feet, propping him up against a tree and leaving his hands in view. Everyone watched as the stranger came back to reality and opened his eyes. He looked around for several seconds and caught view of Falchion sitting patiently several feet away.

"So… What is he?" Tianna asked curiously, placing a hand on her hip and shifting her weight.

"No idea… Looks sort of like an Elf… But… Elves aren't usually green… sometimes they're red or black or blue, but I've never seen a green one…" Falchion said slowly, scratching his metallic nose.

"I can understand you, you know…" the stranger interrupted with a slight amount of annoyance.

"Then stop sitting there like a damn log and tell us what and who you are!" Shale chimed in, pointing menacingly to the restrained intruder.

"…*Sigh* Okay… My name is Katlabar… I'm a Killoran… Nice to meet you, now please untie me…" he replied casually, lifting his hands up toward the large stone man standing before him. Shale was surprised by the fact that this strange man was speaking to him in Terran. Shale blinked several times and glared at the still restrained man.

"First, tell me two things: One, what do you know about my race? And two, tell me exactly what a Killoran is…" Shale said in Terran back to the bound man.

"Alright… First… Killoran are Fey… We are spiritually connected to the primal powers of nature and owe our existence to it… And secondly, I know all about you and your outsider heritage… Terran spawn…" Katlabar said calmly.

"Okay… What are you two saying?" Tianna asked confused and annoyed.

"He's speaking in Terran… Says he's a Fey of some kind… Something called a…"

"Killoran. Yes. Now can someone please let me out of these restraints? I'm beginning to think that there's Cold Iron in this rope or something… My skin is chaffing…"

"A Killoran! Damn It! Shale, let him go!" Tianna shouted, her pail skin seemingly growing whiter with panic.

"What!? Why?" Shale asked, aggravated by the young Changeling girl.

"Because they're _Fey_! We don't want to piss off the other fey for accidently killing or wronging them in some sort of stupid misunderstanding!" Tianna shouted even louder, her teethe growing sharp and her eyes slightly changing color to a darkened grey.

"Alright, fine… But have your metal boyfriend keep an eye on him while we're sleeping if he sticks around…" Shale said, untying the "Visitor" and taking several steps back to continue his training.

"Wow… He always so friendly?" Katlabar asked, looking up to Tianna as she extended a hand to him. She smiled faintly and pulled him up.

"Yeah… A regular people person… I'm Tianna, by the way… That's Falchion, an old friend of mi—

-You forgot to say that he was your boy-toy!" Jabeddo shouted from several feet away, smiling as he walked over, holding a handful of berries and twigs. Katlabar took one look at the berries and knocked them out of the Gnome's hands, his eyes wide and his hands over his mouth as to prevent any of the juices from getting in it.

"Never!... Eat!... These!... Berries!" he shouted, grinding the berry mash into the dirt and kicking some dirt over them. "…*Sigh*… They're extremely poisonous…" he said finally, wiping away a small amount of transpiration from his forehead.

"Right… Any recommendations then?" Jabeddo asked, wiping his hands on his slacks.

"Yeah… Try these… These won't make you bleed to death out of every orifice at once…" Katlabar answered, pulling some berries from his satchel. Tianna eyed the berries that he placed in her hand and slowly popped one into her mouth, aptly releasing a sigh on enjoyment as she began to chew the delicious berry. She would have fallen backward and fainted from sheer bliss had Falchion not been behind her to catch her. He looked up from his barely conscious friend and companion to the stranger and dimmed his eyes menacingly at him. "Easy, big guy… That happens to anyone that first tries them… See? The little guy is out like a light… They'll be up and about in a few moments… Care to try one? I can guarantee that if they are poisonous, you won't get any effects from it aside from the flavor…" he said defensively, handing one of the purple berries to the Warforged man standing with his woman in his arms. He accepted and chewed the berry slowly, getting the flavor… In one soft grunt, he dimmed his eyes to complete darkness and nodded to the Fey standing before him. Katlabar nodded in turn and reached out to help Falchion lower his sleeping burden to the ground. The two then sat down and talked softly for several minutes as they waited for their companions to wake up from their daydreams.

"So… You and I really are two sides of the same coin then, eh?" Falchion asked in a playful voice. Katlabar sighed.

"…*Sigh*… I guess so… We were both brought about by other races as a result of their expansion…" he replied, crossing his arms.

"Sorry to hear about what you and the forests are going through… I wish I could help, but we Warforged aren't exactly welcomed with open arms by nature, you know?" he said, his voice adopting slight mirth.

"Yeah… Fey don't usually welcome an unnatural life form into the inner sanctums… You're okay though… If you never touch anything, I'll lead you around a little later…" Katlabar said slowly.

Falchion nodded and offered a hand to him, which he accepted. "Thank you… I look forward to seeing the beauty that nature has to offer…" Katlabar heard this and had to poke fun…

"Really? Does Tianna know that you're such a softy?"

"Heh heh… Yeah, something tells me that she knows by now..." Falchion replied, his eyes dimming slightly as his voice grew quiet and calm. "She and I have been close for a very long time now…"

"So you love her?" Katlabar asked curiously, his playful tone now replaced with one of endearment at the borderline complete stranger.

"We Warforged rarely find love… Many of us, in fact find it to be a waste of our time… we may not die of old age, but many Warforged believe that life should be spent learning as much as one can… Few find love on their own and even fewer ever feel it before they are killed in battle or their partner dies… I wish I knew what love felt like so I could know if what I feel for Tianna really is love…" he continued, his eyes fading off into dim light.

"Does she love you? Has she told you that yet?" the green man asked, gesturing to the still sleeping woman on the ground.

"She has told me that she feels that way for me many times in the past, but I was never sure… When her father died, she had me come along with her to his funeral… I would have come after everyone else had left anyway… he was a good man and a just master to me… But at that time, no one knew that he was my maker… so I just played the 'moral support' for her… When we were all leaving, she asked me to stay with her as she finished her grieving… She told me that she loved me and that she always wanted me to be with her, like her father never was when she was growing up… I had no idea how to react to this, but a part of me was overjoyed that she wanted to be with me… So from that day on, I decided to always protect her and never allow anyone to hurt her ever again… I resigned myself to refusing any feelings that I felt for her to protect her with a clear head and unwavering vigilance… But that vow gets harder and harder to uphold with each passing day… I think that I love her and I think that she knows it as well…"

"Then that's all that matters… You don't want to hurt her or let anyone else hurt her for the rest of her life, right? Then just accept how you feel towards her and how she feels toward you! Both of you will be happy and you will become so close to her that no one will ever think about hurting her again!" Katlabar said vigorously, almost rising out of his seat as he scolded the Warforged man before him.

"I guess you're right… If she feels that way for me and is willing to show me love, then I cannot afford to refuse… Not if it means hurting her…" Falchion replied, shaking the man's hand and getting up from his seated position and walking over to the still sleeping woman on the ground. He leaned down and lifted her from where she was resting and carried her over to where he and Katlabar had been talking. At his embrace, Tianna's body began to change and her skin began to harden. Before long, her body had changed to emulate a feminine version of a Warforged. Her eyes opened and she met his gaze wearil, her now golden, hauntingly beautiful eyes staring at him. His eyes turned a bright yellow as she pulled herself up and rubbed her forehead against his, now realizing that he felt less hard to her now… like her sense of tough had been dulled and he was harder to feel. That was when she saw her reflection in his eyes and gasped heavily, her body turning back to normal instantly. She blushed brightly, her face solidifying an expression of sheer confusion. Without saying a word, Falchion pulled her up into a kiss, forcing her lips to the front of his face gently and holding her there lightly. She never struggled, the surprise proved too strong for her muscles to react in any sort of violent retaliation before her eyes shut and her body forced her to accept his gesture. In their kiss, she turned back into a Warforged and continued their kiss. Katlabar took this as a good opportunity to leave them to their own devices and begin conversing with the Gnome as he began to stir. _"Good to see those two accepting their feelings…"_ he thought to himself as he walked over to where Jabeddo was sleeping. He leaned down and gave him a strong jab with his trusty Rod of Ropes and woke him instantly.

"By Athena's spear!" he panicked, leaning up and breathing heavily as reality came back to him. Katlabar kicked him on the ribs gently to alert him and knelt down next to him, lifting him to stand.

"Sorry 'bout that pal, just thought you could use a wake-up call…" Katlabar said slowly, rising to his full height afterward. "Hey, want to get out of here before those two find a way to get "Better Acquainted"?" he asked quietly, his forest green eyes sparkling with mischief as he looked down at his new companion.

Jabeddo replied swiftly; "Yeah… I really do… but we can't just leave them… Let's get them and find them a place in the city where they can enjoy each other's company…" Jabeddo said in a near whisper. Katlabar nodded and walked over to Tianna, tapping her on the shoulder. She turned in a daze toward the green fey man before her, her eyes full of a desire that no one had ever seen in her, let alone in a Warforged. She no longer cared that she wasn't in her natural state as she was now being challenged by her body to feel Falchion's embraces; a feeling that spurred her on into a nearly wild desire for her longtime companion. However, she forced herself to resist this urge to acknowledge her new ally

"Hey… we're going into town for supplies… If you guys want to come, you can find a more private place to be together…" he said softly, almost becoming entranced by the bright yellow of her eyes.

"Mmmm… What do you say, Fal… Do you want to go into the city and see if we can find a place away from these three?" She asked the Warforged that held her.

"Sure… But you know this is no honeymoon…" he said in a deep, almost melancholy voice.

"Yeah… but we can still have fun for a little while…" she replied in another painfully seductive voice; this one a near whisper for only her lover to hear. His eyes glowed brighter as he nodded to her and lifted her up.

"Don't walk in looking like that… People will treat you like they do all Warforged… And I can't have that happen to you… You'll receive better treatment if you go in your native state…" he said in a soothing tone, rubbing her shoulder. Tianna nodded solemnly, shifting back into her native form and huffing with disappointment. Falchion just chuckled and walked over to where Shale had been silently training and tapped him on the shoulder.

"What is it, Falchion?" he asked, glancing over at his Warforged companion with seemingly cold eyes as he spoke with emotionless words.

"We were going to town to pass some time… You should come with us… You're strong, but we're all stronger together…" he said in a stern voice.

"You make a good point so I'll go…" he said, rolling his shoulders and following the others as they began to walk through the forest towards the nearby province. Katlabar suddenly jumped up and into a tree, beginning to race ahead toward the town jumping from tree top to tree top. He was fast, but not as fast as when he ran along the ground so the others kept up with him quite easily. Falchion watched him vault with ease from tree to tree and swing from branch to branch and chuckled to himself.

"Show off…" he muttered, just loud enough for Tianna to hear. She giggled softly and began walking closer to him and slightly ahead as to create the illusion that they were master and servant. The trees soon disappeared and Katlabar was forced to walk along the ground with the rest of the group, his body still at the ready. They all reached the closed gate to the city and were met by a pair of guards.

"Halt! State your business! The city of Ironroot has been placed under lockdown! All visitors must be cleared before entry!" the guard on the left hollered, his voice almost shaky.

"Knock it off, Trevor! You know who we are, let us through!" Tianna said in an authoritative voice and wagging her finger at the guard.

"Uh… Yes! Right away, Ms. Soulwhisper!" the guard said nervously, turning to the door and hastily opened it.

"Thank you, Trevor… and here… for your troubles…" Tianna said in a slightly smug voice, tossing a platinum piece to the guard. He caught it and began crying silently to himself.

"Oh, thank you Miss! Thank you so very much! Your generosity knows no bounds!" the guard shouted with glee, putting away the precious money in his coin purse and hiding it securely among his armor. The group then continued on into the city, making their way to the center of the main street and looking around for their individual interests. Jabeddo found the local artificer and walked off in the shop's direction. Tianna and Falchion took notice of where he went for future reference and then both went off towards the most expensive inn in the town. Shale went to the park to meditate in silence. Katlabar began browsing each store and individual groups of people as he wandered about the city to satiate his natural curiosity.

End Chapter 2: Unvented Yearnings.

There it is, guys… sorry to have kept you all waiting like that… And to those of you familiar with my more popular writings, I'm still writing chapter 16 to A New Life. That story is starting to drag on for me… I still love the story, but I'm starting lose interest… Don't worry, faithful readers, I will finish it on a good note, but it may take some time…


	3. Unaligned Decisions

This story is going to shift focus from Falchion and Tianna regularly, focusing on other character just as much as on them… This chapter is going to center around Katlabar and what shenanigans he gets himself into when his natural curiosity gets to him… Enjoy, everybody!

Chapter 3: Unaligned Decisions; Unforeseen Consequences. Begin.

As the others all found a place to pass the time, Katlabar was not having quite as much luck; his curiosity proved too great to allow him to find a place to satiate his wonder and he instead just walked about the city, gazing at its sights and shops, people and locations, and its attractions and wares. He was so overwhelmed by his own desire to learn that he didn't realize that he was being pickpocketed by a young elven girl. After some time, as the girl grew too greedy for her own good, Katlabar realized that his coin purse was growing lighter; however, to the dismay of the unsuspecting girl, he did not turn around. He instead jumped up into the air and landed directly behind her, grabbing her by the arms and smacking her on the back of the head to knock her unconscious. He picked her up and carried her away in his arms. "Citizens, there is nothing to worry about! My friend here just fainted from the heat, I will see to it that she gets the best medical treatment possible!" he said in as much of a flamboyant manner as possible as to avert suspicions; it worked and he was allowed to leave the sight of the public without any incidents. He carried her off into an alleyway and began to inspect her things and removed her facemask to inspect her face better. She was beautiful beyond description and her body seemed more curvaceous than a usual Elf's would, she wore a long, flowing robe that fit her form very loosely. As he searched her things, he found the money that she'd stole and replaced it in his coin purse, faceting the purse to the inside of his armor as to prevent similar happenings. As he rifled through her things, he discovered a small plant that was perfectly preserved with a spell and placed within what could have been described as a snow globe. It was a single, sickly tree sprout that was preserved at the last moments of life. Katlabar felt an immense sorrow overtake him as he just observed the small plant and occasionally looked back to the girl. He soon refocused on the plant and felt warm tears fill his eyes at the sight of the suspended piece of nature; rapidly losing focus on the girl in the corner of his eye as she spurred to consciousness. She panicked and grabbed the plant from his hands and began to cradle it in her arms. She rocked back and forth as she held it close to her, tears streaming down her face and onto the globe, causing the plant to glow slightly. Katlabar noticed this and almost fell to the ground in tears as well at the realization that he'd determined; this girl was no Elf - she was a Nymph, and the plant in her arms was the last piece of her forest sanctuary that survived. Without either of them realizing it fully, Katlabar had pulled the Nymph girl into his arms and began holding her softly as she cried. Moments passed as they slowly came to the realization that they were holding each other tightly but the desire to escape each other's arms never manifested into actions as they just locked eyes and their tears melted away. The girl now got a better look at the man that had captured her and realized that he was a Fey as well, a feeling that soothed her slightly; and Katlabar saw the small comfort in her eyes and decided to gently release her from his grasp. The two separated from their somewhat accidental embrace and now just stared at one another, thinking to themselves. _'I can't just leave her here… A plant that close to death cannot survive forever, even if it is preserved…'_ Katlabar thought to himself as he stared into her large, glowing eyes. _'Who is this man and why is he being so strange towards my after I stole all his money?'_ The girl thought, her eyes meeting his.

"I apologize for not saying this sooner, but I am Katlabar. I am a Killoran and I would like to help you to take care of that plant you have there…" he said in a soft voice, holding his hand out to her. The girl took his presented hand and nodded, beginning to speak in turn.

"I-I'm… Nesati…" she replied, her eyes glowing a soft orange in the light that now reflected from them.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Nesati… I look forward to working with you… By the way… Do you have any money of your own?" Katlabar asked, his forest green eyes locking to hers. She shook her head gingerly, her eyes growing sad. "Well here…" he continued, handing her a platinum bar. Her eyes grew wide with amazement as she slowly reached out for the piece of metal, expecting him to lurch it out of her reach just as she tried to grasp at it. Her hands slid to it and pulled it from his hands softly; she then ripped it away when it was out of his hands and put it away greedily.

"Th-thank you…" she said with a blush, her eyes escaping his as she began to focus on the plant in her arms.

"Come with me… Let's go find someone to treat that plant for you…" Katlabar said in an even softer voice, calling her attention to his hand as he gestured it to her to take and lift herself up with. She accepted and allowed him to pull her to her feet, almost falling to the ground again out of weakness. "Oh! A-Are you hungry? Or is that because of the tree?" he asked, catching her as she stumbled into his arms. Nesati nodded and her stomach growled loudly, causing her blush to intensify greatly. "Well… Don't you worry… We're going to swing by the Mage's Guild and get that plant fixed up and then get you some nice, hot stew…" he said with a happy voice, smiling down at her. She grinned softly and allowed him to lead her through the streets to the Mage's Guild Building.

It took several minutes of walking, but they both arrived without raising suspicions or even attracting attention of any kind, no one was particularly interested in either of them. They opened the door to the large, palace-like structure and walked in, ignoring the menacingly tall and powerful looking stone gargoyles and motionless constructs. They walked up to the clerk and began to try to get his attention.

"Excuse me, sir?" Katlabar asked in his most polite voice. The old man behind the desk looked up from his work and noticed them immediately, smiling softly at the girl and slowly turning his gaze to Katlabar.

"Yes? How may I help you?" the old man's shrill voice resounded, echoing through the halls with its potent squeak. Katlabar looked to Nesati and gestured for her to show the man the preserved plant.

"My friend here is looking to make this plant healthy again… Can you do that? And please be careful with this plant… If it dies… so will she…"

"Ah! A nymph! It's been ages since the last time I'd seen one of you and been able to see afterward… You must be very weak to not be able to blind others with your beauty… And I can assure the both of you; no harm will come to the sprout while it is in my care… Now, young lady, please come with me…" he said in a kind voice, reaching out to the plant slowly. Nesati followed him wearily, holding onto Katlabar's hand gingerly as they were led through the guild hall and into the man's study. He led them into the center of the room and positioned Nesati in a large circle that was adorned with flowers and candles with incents burning in them. She began to feel faint and kneeled down on the floor, putting down the plant and closing her eyes before drifting off to sleep.

"Now that the young fey girl is asleep, please retrieve the plant for me…" the man said in a patient voice. Katlabar did as the man asked, reaching into the circle and grabbing the plant gently and handing it to him. The mage placed his hands on the ball of magic that encased the sprout, causing it to decay away; Nesati began to moan in pain as the plant began to wilt. This was short lived, however, as the mage began to chant and the plant started to glow and become green again. Without removing his left hand from the threatened plant, he reached down and wiped up one of the girl's tears that had slipped from her eye and dripped it onto the plant. The glow faded away and the plant grew a solid inch and all of its leaves grew back and it stood straight up; it was now completely healthy.

"This restoration will only cost 400 gold… If you would like me to make this plant unable to be killed, that will cost 50,000 gold, but the effects will be permanent…" the mage said softly. Katlabar nodded and pulled out 25 platinum bars and 40 platinum pieces, handing them all to the mage. The man said nothing but began to hum softly, touching the plant once again; the plant began to glow a soft green that didn't fade away when the man's hands left the plant's stalk. He then put the plant in Nesati's hands and stepped away. She began to emit a bright blue and orange mist that trailed around the green aura of the plant and engulfed her. She writhed about the floor for several moments before settling back down and opening her eyes weakly, looking around. She set her eyes on Katlabar and smiled at him as she reached out to him with her hand. He gently grasped it and she closed her eyes again, returning to sleep.

"Please, Killoran… Follow me to the foyer and allow her to rest for a while… she needs to readjust to the new power of the plant…" the old mage said in a quiet voice, leading him out of the room. "I believe that you will be pleased to know that she is now immortal… As long as that plant remains, she cannot die… The only thing that could kill her now would be a Wish…" he said with a grin, leading him into the new room. Katlabar grinned and shed a tear. "I am aware of your connection to nature, but do you care for this girl?"

Katlabar was surprised by his question; almost as surprised as he was when he could not find an answer to said question. He sat quietly, contemplating his answer for several moments but none came.

"I can tell that there are the seeds of love within you…" the old man said quietly. Katlabar just looked at him and blinked several times when a loud voice echoed from behind the door that led to the study.

"Kaaaat!" Nesati shouted like a small child, her voice impatient and full of innocence.

Katlabar smirked and felt a small amount of impatience well up within him at the way the young Nymph called out to him as though he were a trained dog.

"Excuse me a moment…" he said with a strained voice. He then got up from his reclined position against the wall and walked to the door, closing it behind him. "Shut! Up! You're! Supposed! To! Be! Sleeping!" his voice echoed from behind the door.

Several murmurs could be heard from the room as Nesati began to reason with him to calm him down. He and Nesati then walked out of the room, Nesati holding to his shoulder as he led her out.

"Have a good evening, you two!" the mage hollered to them as they took their leave. The pair then exited the doors and the doors closed behind them on their own.

"Hey, K… Can we go get something to eat now?" Nesati asked with innocent, pouting eyes. Katlabar smiled gently at her and nodded, leading her to a nice restaurant for dinner. The two sat down and were served rather quickly as many were intrigued by Nesati's enchanting beauty. She inhaled her meal ravenously and in less than five minutes was asking if Katlabar would pay for her to have seconds.

"You just eat until you're full…" he replied in a kind voce, she smiled at him and called for their waitress to return.

"I would like some of the Vegetable Stew! With extra potatoes!" she said enthusiastically, her voice growing very melodic and happy. She was served in less than five minutes and she scarfed down the thick, tasty stew in even less time. She let out a contented sigh and leaned back in her seat, rubbing her stomach and closing her eyes. With that, Katlabar asked the waitress back to the table and asked for something for the road and for the bill. He paid her and tipped her as well, leaving the restaurant. Nesati held softly to Katlabar's arm as they walked through the nearly baron streets of late afternoon.

"I'm going find an inn for the night… You're welcome to join me in an adjoining room if you'd like…" he said in a soft voice. She looked up at him and smiled, her almond shaped eye shimmering in the last moments of sunlight. He nodded and walked with her to a nice inn and got the two of them a set of adjoining rooms for the night. He showed her to her room and took his; beginning his ritual of getting ready for bed. He turned out the lights and settled into his bed for the night.

Two hours later…

A creaking almost awakened Katlabar but he thought nothing of it at the time, his eyes closing again after opening only several seconds to a haze of darkness that even he could not see through. Warmth settled along the length of his body and soothed him almost completely back to sleep when he was startled by slight motions into looking around in confusion. There was enough light for him to see clearly with the use of his low-light vision. Lying next to him in his bed was Nesati, her body pressed close to his and her face dangerously close as well. Her eyes were open and gleaming with an enticing desire. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips deeply, her natural pheromones working at Katlabar's resolve as he tried to resist but quickly gave in and reciprocated the movements of her lips and tongue.

"Mph-bu-wha?" he panicked, pulling out of the kiss and lifting himself up onto his elbows to stare at the Nymph in his bed. She leaned forward to close the distance between them and whispered into his ear.

"I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me…" she said and then began to nip at his ear, sliding her tongue about the leafy texture of his flesh. He made several grunts before he pushed her away, his breathing growing heavier.

"Nesati… Listen… We can't do this… Not after only knowing each other for about three hours… I'm not that kind of guy…" he Katlabar said softly, his hands on her shoulders.

"But why can't we? It's just sex… there doesn't have to be anything between us if you don't want there to be… We can just have some fun… Or are you the kind of man who can't have fun with a girl unless you love them?" she asked him, her hands on her hips as she leaned in again.

"Uh… I am… I can't… make love to a woman unless I actually love them… I'm sorry…"

"Well… we're both Fey… We are both Nature… and we both love nature on a level that no one else but another fey can understand… So… Why don't we just… Express that love through each other? Why don't we MAKE love between us through nature…" she said in a seductive voice, placing each of her hands on each of his shoulders, pressing her lips to his chin line.

"Nesati? …Wha-what are you s-saying?! Di… Did you just ask me if you… could… be… my…" he slowed down due to the fact that she was now sliding her hands up to the collar of her robe and pulling it up, displaying her perfect body.

"Shhh… Stop talking… You gave me a new existence that cannot expire… And I want it to be yours… Forever…" she said interrupting him as he sputtered at the sight of her shapely legs as her robe was lifted higher and higher. Hearing those words, Katlabar's resolve melted away and he lurched forward into a kiss with her, his hands finding the small of her back and pulling her into a tight embrace along with the kiss. She was caught off guard by his actions and her body tensed slightly before she gave in to the sudden burning in her body, allowing him to have her. Several muffled sighs left her throat as she was eased onto the bed before the leaf-skinned man.

Her robe began to dissolve into a puddle of water that flowed down her body and onto the floor of the room, revealing her entire form to him; nothing was left to imagination. His eyes widened momentarily and she slid a soft hand to the side of his cheek.

"I'm a Nymph… I've never liked clothing… The fact that I've even taken to wearing that is a lot…" she said bluntly.

"Th-then… If-f you still have those principals… We should not do this inside… Something as natural as this should not be done anywhere else than in nature… Please… As much as I would love to have you now… We cannot do this indoors… it's like spitting in the face of nature itself…" Katlabar said shakily, his voice full of desire and his hands struggling to shy away from the perfect creature before him.

Nesati was so moved by his words that she pulled him into a tight hug, her body pressed firmly to his and his head resting on her shoulder, smelling her scent; she smelled of fresh, blooming flowers and the open air of a live, growing forest. He was comforted by her scent and all sexual energy that he'd previously been feeling faded away and he relaxed in her arms as his arms came around her slender frame as well. She began to cry tears of joy as the water that pooled around her and on the floor reformed into her robe back on her body.

"I'm so happy that I found you… You actually understand me! You love me!" she sobbed, her heart beating against her and his chest.

"And I'm happy that you've chosen me to bond with…" Katlabar replied, pulling her away from his chest to stare into her large eyes. Her eyes then filled with playfulness as she leaned forward again and whispered into his ear softly.

"I hope you're patient… Because this was your only free ride… You're going to have to wait for when I pick out a nice spot for us…"

"Sweetheart, I will MAKE a nice spot for us!" Katlabar replied, claiming her lips as his own and pushing her down onto the bed, resting her head against the pillow next to his. She became confused by his lack of perseverance when she made a startling realization; she'd met a man who could tease just as well as a Nymph could, so whoever lasted the longest was anyone's guess…

She leaned over and nipped his ear again and whispered; "I accept you challenge… _Lover"_ she then kissed him and the both of them fell asleep at each other's side, being comforted by the fact that they'd found something worthwhile while they were in the city.

Six Hours Later…

Katlabar awoke with an invigorated start and looked down to the lovely girl at his side… She was still curled up against him with her head nestled in his shoulder and neck, her skin slightly moistened as her clothing had dissolved in the night. Katlabar quickly looked away with a blush as his eyes came to rest on her body. He had gotten just enough of a glimpse of her body to have realized that with the exception of her head and eyebrows, her entire body was hairless. He tried to ignore her haunting beauty but such a task was nearly impossible as the feeling of having her soft curves pressed against his body and the thought of her being _his_ played tricks on his mind. He knew that he needed to leave _fast_ or he would become unbearably likely to do something that they both would regret. He began to slink away from her as to get up and get dressed but every inch that he would move, so would she; like she were drawn to him in her dreams. He then decided that his best course of action was to force her off through the use of stimulus; however, he did not want to hurt her… He then got a glimpse of her plant out of the corner of his eye. He leaned over and grabbed the glowing, healthy plant and began to stroke the leaves on the sides of the sprout's stalk. Nesati began to sigh as she was feeling his caresses on her own flesh as though he had been touching her, not merely a plant. He then grew ambitious and stroked the underside of each leaf, causing her breathing to hitch and her body to lurch slightly. He continued his assault on her senses with several long, rubbing gestures that started at the base of the plant and ended at the very tips of the undersides of the leaves. She released a heavy sigh and a breathless grunt at the tender touch, her body heat beginning to rise. She rolled off of Katlabar and onto her back but she soon arched her back and started to moan. This only encouraged the Killoran to continue his kind stimulations, rubbing other places on the plant with his leaf-like fingers. He discovered a nodule of curled roots that seemed slightly hidden and poked it gently to see where on her person it represented. She released a moan and her legs crossed tightly over her now glistening opening. A mischievous smirk played on his features as he began to focus on that small node of soft roots and stimulated the corresponding flesh on his lover. Her moans grew louder and more strained as her back arched higher from the bed and her arms gripped the sheets. A torrent of fluids were dripping freely from her body and creating a small pool that mixed with that of her water, (formerly her robes) quickly changing to form even more water. He then stopped as to test her reaction, to see if he should continue. Her voice echoed into his mind and he looked over at her to see if she truly was awake; she was and was now staring at him with lust-filled eyes.

"Why… did… you… stop?" she panted, weakly looking at her lover and torturer. He simply stood there with his eyes wide.

"I stopped because… this isn't right… It's not fair to you…" Katlabar replied with guilt heavy on his mind as he sat down at the far side of the bed. Nesati slithered sensually up to hold to his back, rubbing his neck gently.

"I was never asleep… I wanted to see how far you would go… And you passed with flying colors… You really are a good boy… I may be able to make you the perfect man yet…" Nesati teased, rubbing her face against his chin and pressing her now solid nipples against his back.

"Come on, you tease… You need to meet my friends… They will be happy to meet you as well…" he said softly, standing up and beginning to put his armor back on. Nesati simply sat back and the water from the bed resettled on her frame and coalesced into her robes.

"Okay then… Let's go meet those friends of yours…" She replied in a dismissive sigh, lifting from the bed and helping him to fasten his armor quicker. The two then left the inn room and made their way out of the inn and toward the other inn where Falchion and Tianna had settled in last afternoon and hadn't been seen since.

End Chapter 3: Unaligned Decisions; Unforeseen Consequences.

So I hope you all liked this chapter… It was shorter than chapter two but that doesn't seem to be that big of an issue…


	4. The Chess Board

So this is destined to be an interesting chapter if I have any type of foresight at all…

Chapter 4: The Chess Board. Begin.

Katlabar quickly donned his armor and he and his companion, Nesati, both made their way to the inn in which Falchion and Tianna were spending their evening and undoubtedly their morning together.

"K, when are we going to get something to eat? I'm hungry!" Nesati said in a childish voice, tugging on Katlabar's shoulder softly. He looked down into her soft, almond-shaped eyes and smiled, patting her on the head gently, causing her to grin.

"Very soon… I just need to make sure my friends didn't make any stupid decisions without consulting the rest of the group… After that, we can go back to that restaurant that we went to last night and you can help yourself to the biggest portion of stew and the freshest, fanciest breads they have… Okay?" Katlabar replied, pulling her chin up to face his. She smiled up at him, winking silently and leaning forward to kiss him. He smiled in the kiss and leaned away after about a second and patted her on the head once again, taking her hand and leading her up to the innkeeper.

"Hello, good sir! And hello to you, lovely lady! How may I assist you today?" the middle-aged man behind the counter asked with a charismatic grin.

"We're here to see a pair of our friends… We're looking for a very pale girl and a Warforged, they—

-Ah! Say no more! They're in the Honeymoon suite… Uh… I wouldn't recommend disturbing them… They have been… well… Very "Entertaining" to some of the other guests… As well as disruptive to the rest…" he replied, interrupting Katlabar as he spoke.

"Uh… Alright then… I'm not going to ask how… But… J-just tell them… we dropped by… and tell them to meet us at the park where our stone has been meditating…" Katlabar said in a panic. Nesati then tugged at his arm and smiled up at him mischievously.

"What's the matter, sweetie… You don't want to have a little fun with them while they do it like rabbits?" she teased, snuggling up closer to him, pressing his arm up against her chest. If not for his currently green flesh, his facial features would be a very lively red at that particular moment. Nesati giggled and kissed him on the chin, whispering into his ear. "Let's go get something nice to eat… _Lover_…" Katlabar laughed softly, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as he led her out.

"Uh… D-don't worry, Sir! I will ensure they get your message! (if only I knew what it meant…)" the innkeeper said to them as they left, mumbling the last bit to himself as he thought about how little his pay really was.

The pair made their way to the very same restaurant as the night before, and even the same waitress as the night before; whom was more than happy to serve them this morning as well.

"Hi!" Nesati shouted as they entered the restaurant, immediately gaining the attention of practically every patron on the establishment. Not to mention the entire staff, who first just stared in surprise but then began to grin at the sight of two of the biggest tippers and most interesting customers that this small, quaint restaurant had had in ages.

"Hello, you two! So good to see you again! Here for our breakfast special, or just passing through?" the waitress asked.

"I guess both! Sorry… what was your name again?" Katlabar asked in a pitiful voice, looking away from her gaze.

"Oh, no worries! I'm Elsa… If you'd like, I could set you two up with a table…" she replied, her smile unaltered. The pair nodded and followed the overjoyed waitress.

"I already know what I'd like…" Nesati said before even seeing a menu.

"Oh, really? I couldn't interest you in our special breakfast menu options?" Elsa asked, her face taking on a slight look of disappointment.

"Oh! Yes, of course you can! I would love to hear what you have to offer!" Nesati replied, grinning with joy.

"Well, we have a hearty meat stew with a thick broth and all different vegetables… fruit salad… our vegetable stew, and some nice apple pie… So what would you like?" Elsa said in a kind voice.

"I want some of the stew, some of the fruit salad, and a slice of apple pie!" Nesati said happily.

"Alright… And for you, sir?"

"I'd like some of the stew with some toast, please." Katlabar replied, smiling up at Elsa with a polite smile; she returned the smile and walked off to place in the orders.

"So… Who are your friends anyway?" Nesati asked curiously, her eyes glistening with intrigue.

"Well… To be honest, we're a bit of a motley crew… There's a Stonechild, his name's Shale; a Changeling, her name's Tianna; a Warforged, his name's Falchion; and a Gnome, his name's Jabeddo… They are all strange in their own ways… Tianna and Falchion are romantically inclined, Jabeddo has no inhibitions, and Shale is just too quiet at times… They've all got secrets, but I'll respect that… After all… so do we, don't we?" Katlabar asked rhetorically, causing Nesati to blush slightly.

"I thought so… Oh, and don't tell them how much the spell to get you up on your feet cost me… They'll get pissed off at me…"

"But I don't know how much you paid for it… Why… Was it really that much?" she asked, her gaze growing playful.

"50,400 gold." Katlabar replied simply. Nesati just stared at him blankly, her eyes slowly filling with tears at the sentiment that he'd shown to her. She lurched forward and kissed him, sobbing tears of joy onto his armor.

"I didn't even know you and you paid that much for me to be healthy? Why?" she asked, rubbing the warm liquid from her eyes and smiling up at him.

"We Nature Walkers have to stick together, right? Besides… I could never leave a girl in that condition… Too… Indecent…" he replied, leaning in to whisper in her ear. She gasped sharply in response to his words.

"You really are a good man…" she said in a soft, airless voice, staring into his eyes.

"Well… I wouldn't say that… Just… one with a conscience." Katlabar replied with a quiet tone, grinning at her. She immediately hugged him again and began to kiss him repeatedly on the neck and bite his ear.

"I… don't care about the food… N-now… I just want you to make love to me!" she cooed in his ear, continuing to bite it.

"In good time… I won't be able to have you if you're passed out from exhaustion later, right?" Katlabar asked, pushing her forward softly, locking his eyes to hers. She nodded, her breathing slowing down as their waitress approached with their platters of food. The two ate quietly, sharing happy glances as they polished off their plates.

"Enjoy your breakfasts?" Elsa asked with a polite voice.

"Yes, thank you… And here… Keep the change…" Katlabar replied, slipping a platinum piece into her hand. The young woman stared at the coin quietly for several moments before looking up to him with tears in her eyes.

"Th-thank… you…" she stuttered, the warm tears streaming down her face.

"No, thank you…" Katlabar said softly, taking her hand and shaking it gently. Nesati was pressing herself to his arm again, her chest tight to him as she rested her head on his shoulder. They then took their leave, waving happily to everyone in the restaurant.

"K…" Nesati cooed again, rubbing her breasts against his shoulder.

"Of course, My Dear… Follow me…" He replied, pulling her along the path to the gate and out of the city. She mumbled as she rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, occasionally kissing his neck and creating a soft purring sound.

"How much farther? I feel like I am about to burn up inside… Please, hurry…" she panted in his ear, biting at it, intentionally missing and causing her teeth to click as her mouth closed. Katlabar chuckled, pulling her closer and sliding a hand to her upper shoulder at just the right angle to feel the edge of her soft breast.

"Mmm… You're ready too, eh?" she whispered, pulling his arm tighter so it could feel her erect nipple against the thin fabric of her robe. Katlabar chuckled as they continued down the now beaten path into the woods on the West side of the city.

"Stop here…" Nesati pleaded, now rubbing her pelvis against him as her clothing began to dissolve into water and pool around the pair as they lay down in a patch of tall, lush grass with extensive canopy cover. Nesati removed piece after piece of Katlabar's armor, purring and giggling as she did. In a matter of a couple minutes, all of his armor was removed and she was now kissing his chest, tasting the subtle flavors of different types of leaves.

"You taste like the trees…" she purred, licking his flesh.

"Maybe I do… You find that intriguing?" he asked, pulling her up so her eyes were at his level.

"Mmmmm… Maybe I do…" she retorted, biting his lip.

"Then give yourself to the will of the forests…" he whispered, kissing her neck and licking her long ear, causing her to moan quite loudly.

"Ye-yes! I need you! I want to be yours! I want to return to nature!" she panted, tightening her arms around his chest and pushing him deep into the watery ground. She kissed him passionately, her tongue slinking into his mouth.

"Good…" Katlabar replied, starting to force himself into her entrance. She released loud moans and deep, wanton sighs as she felt every inch of him force its way into her body. She hugged him tightly, biting his neck to vent and muffle several exceptionally loud moans and shouts as he sheathed himself in her completely; unable to reach any deeper in her grateful body. When he stopped, she released an irrepressible moan and almost went limp in his arms, panting heavily as he lifted them up into a near seated position.

"Was that…" Katlabar asked, pausing mid-sentence as he knew the answer, and being a Nymph, she would never admit that she'd already experienced an orgasm just from his entry.

"N-no… I… just… I…" she stuttered, her body failing to grant her movement as her cheeks grew red.

"Tell me the truth and I will reward you with even greater joys…" he said in a tauntingly sensual voice, causing her to gasp.

"N-n-no!… I…didn't!… I!..." she panted as her body pleaded for more, producing massive amounts of fluids that changed into water when they flowed out of her.

"Please stop lying to me…" he replied in a soft tone, causing her to stop her stuttering for words.

"Y-yes… I-I did… I needed it so badly that… You made… me…" she started with a blush, her eyes almost closed.

"Shhh… Thank you…" he said as he interrupted her by placing a finger on her mouth, pushing her lips together. He then slowly began to pull himself out but was stopped by Nesati wrapping her legs around his waist and holding him where he was.

"I-if you m-move now… I'll… h-have another one…" she panted into his ear. He stopped in his tracks, instead leaning forward and beginning to bite and lick her ear all along its length. She moaned softly, but her moans rapidly grew louder and her insides rapidly tightened around him as he continued his gentle assault of her sensitive ear.

"N-NO! You c-can't! N-not th-there! My ears are t-too sensitive! I'll… I'll!... I'll!" She tried to argue but her body was just too sensitive to the attack and she released loud, loving moans at the feelings, her body releasing another wave of lustful excitement. The pool of water was growing at an alarming rate as wildlife gathered around at a safe distance and the trees and plants began to bloom and produce cascading petals of beautiful reds, pinks, and whites; all falling to drift across the pond of their love-making. Her body released its grip on Katlabar's hips, allowing him the ability to move, however, he didn't; not yet…

"Look… All around… Nature has heard you… You are being welcomed back into nature… Isn't that great?" he said in a still soft voice.

"Ye-yes… But only… I-if-f I can st-stay with you… I want to always be yours!" she moaned, her body still racked by spasms as she tried to speak.

"Then tell it to nature and you may be granted that wish as well…" he said in another whisper.

"P…P-Please! I… want to stay with him! With the one that I love! With Katlabar!" she screamed, feeling another wave of pleasure hit her insides. The animals heard and backed away as more and more blossoms fell from the trees and began to blanket the lovers, allowing them to snuggle in Nature's forgiveness. Nesati smiled happily before a sudden spark of pleasure caused her to scream almost deafeningly. Katlabar was starting to move; his hardness filling and leaving a void where it'd been before filling her again. She reached another climax, her insides releasing more fluids than before and causing more blossoms to appear.

"I… d-don't… under…stand… Why… is… this… so… good?" she panted, her eyes welling up with tears at the good feelings flooded her body.

"Because I love you…" Katlabar whispered into her ear gently. Her eyes widened and her ears perked up temporarily before she began to scream again.

"Yes! I love you too! Please! Make me yours! Forever!" she moaned, digging her nails into his leafy flesh.

"Absolutely…" Katlabar grunted, picking up speed and beginning to force his way into her harder than before. Moan after moan filled the forests just as the falling petals filled the air.

"Please… Make…" Nesati tried to speak.

"Shhh… Just relax… Do what your nature tells you to…" Katlabar interrupted, kissing her to silence her. Without another word, they continued for a short while afterward before Nesati began to feel a growing burning inside of her entire body.

"K… W-what's happening?... I feel… like…" she said, straining to talk.

"You're getting ready to accept nature's true blessing…" Katlabar said softly, forcing himself to slow down and grind across every piece of flesh that she possessed within her body. A powerful, hot surge filled Nesati's insides and caused her to fall limp, unable to even move as her body returned to normal. The heat that remained inside of her filled her with indescribable joy and a feeling of importance that she could not understand. Then she looked over at her preserved tree sprout: There was a bud growing on it… A bud that would inevitably become a flower…

End Chapter4: The Chess Board.

This was indeed a very dirty chapter and I am nothing but proud of how it came out… Please, to anyone that reads this story; Read and Review.


	5. Pawns in Place

I've got to tell you who are reading, I am really enjoying this story; regardless the fact that there are about 10 people that have even read it… This is one of my favorite stories that I've written and I am intending on having it go for quite a while as well, so maybe more people will pick up on it? Hopeful thinking I guess…

Chapter 5: Pawns in Place. Begin.

"I swear… This feels strange… I feel like… Mngh! Gwaugh!" Nesati said before doubling over and losing her breakfast on the side of the trail back into town. Katlabar just rubbed her on the shoulder and helped her to keep walking when she finished.

"I shouldn't have allowed you to eat so much before we did that… You're heaving chunks all over the place and you look pale… I'm taking you back to the room and you're going to… get… some…" Katlabar began before looking at her plant as she carried it in her arms.

"That… Uh… That wasn't there before… Was it?" he asked, pointing to the bud on the top of the plant.

"Ugh… N-no… It… Appeared after we made love…" Nesati replied, inspecting the bud as well.

"Yeah… I didn't think that was there before… We should go back to that mage and ask him what is going on… But first, you're going back to the room and getting some rest… You should feel better afterward: And I will not take no for an answer!" he said, grabbing her by the shoulder and gently leading her to the city walls.

"Halt! This cit-

-Is in lockdown! I got it the first time you stopped us at the gate, Trevor, let us in!" Katlabar interrupted impatiently, pointing a finger at him.

"Yes sir!" the guard replied, opening the gate nervously. The two then entered the city and beelined directly toward their inn and straight to their room.

"Now you just rest here while I take this plant to the old man… Get well." He said in a soft, worried voice as he led her into the room and into bed. He tucked her in and she immediately fell fast asleep.

He then made his way to the mage. In the way, he came across the others of his group and was forced to stop.

"Hey! Killoran! Where have you been?" Jabeddo shouted, running up to him. Katlabar sighed heavily as he turned around.

"Hi… Jabeddo… How have you been?" he asked in a tired yet rushed voice. The others then came strolling up to them and looked at him happily, even the stoic Stonechild.

"Hey, guys… What's up?" Katlabar asked rhetorically as he began to turn to take his leave.

"Nothing really, how about you? And what's up with the plant? Is it glowing?" Falchion asked, pointing to the plant in Katlabar's arms.

"Uh… Yeah… It is… Long story… Listen, guys… I'll share it when I have the time… Which I don't have the time to do right now… Please excuse me…" he said dismissively.

"Whoa, hey! Where are you rushing off to?" Tianna asked with suspicion in her voice. Katlabar looked to her and waved her aside.

"Look… I need to take this plant to a mage to see if it's okay… A young woman's life may be at stake! I'll fill you in on the details later; please make sure none of the group- including yourself- follows me on the way back from the Mage's Guild!" he said in a whisper, forcing her to listen intently.

"A-alright… But why and whose life?" she asked with curiosity and worry.

"A Nymph's… Her sanctuary was destroyed and this plant is all that remains… It didn't look like this when I found her and had the plant restored… This bulb was not here before… And it should be impossible that it's there to begin with… I had the mage put a regeneration spell on it to make sure that it could never be killed or changed…" Katlabar replied impatiently.

Tianna nodded her head and leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

"Make sure your love is well and you will be too…"

Katlabar nodded and raced off, sprinting up the side of a building and disappearing. The rest of the group- Tianna included- stood with their mouths agape out of awe. Jump after jump, climb after climb, Katlabar made great time; landing on the ground within 5 minutes of leaving the rest of his group. He would have been pleased with himself he had not been in a hurry to ensure Nesati's health.

He immediately raced into the building and up to the desk of the old man from the day before; same as before, the man was there, but Katlabar had to struggle to gain his attention.

"Wha?... Oh! Hello! You're the man that was with that young Nymph yesterday! How may I be of assistance?" the old mage asked. He then stopped in his tracks when Katlabar showed the plant to the man and the mage noticed the bulb growing on the top of it. "Come with me…" he said, his voice growing serious and quiet. The man led Katlabar through the corridors into his study again and snapped his fingers, closing the doors behind them.

"You're curious as to how the young tree grew a bud when it's been preserved… Correct?" he asked rhetorically. After a short pause, he resumed speaking. "…The tree is immune to death and cannot be destroyed… But that doesn't mean that it is sterile… Nor is the girl…" he said simply, looking down to the bulb before walking over to his desk and sitting leisurely in his chair.

"Wait… Are you suggesting…"

"Yes! She is pregnant! And I can assume with some safety that you are the father… At the rate that this bulb seems to be growing; the child will come to term within a month… And you must also be aware of the lack of compassion that a Nymph mother usually holds toward their children, correct?" the mage questioned, his eyes never leaving his desk after sitting down.

"I… I am aware… But Nesati is different! She pledged herself to me as my lover and wished to be mine over returning to nature! She wanted me to have her forever! She would never neglect my child! Whether of Killoran or Nymph decent; she would never do such a thing!" Katlabar shouted, his eyes slowly turning blacker and his hair darkening.

"I never said she would… But that is the general nature of a Nymph Mother after birthing a child… Just be prepared for whatever may happen later in life…" the mage commented, his eyes meeting that of Katlabar.

"How well would she fair without me by her side?"

"That is one of the questions that you can only answer… Well… I could tell you but I doubt you want me poking around in her head any more than I had to during the procedure…" he replied, chuckling slightly.

"Is there anything that you can do for me to know how she's doing while I'm away?"

"There is a spell that could be cast on the both of you that would allow you both to know the status of your lover… But it is not exactly free… And the girl will need to be here with you… Go get her and we will talk further…" the mage spoke with a mild grin, lighting a match and igniting his pipe.

"Thank you, mage…" Katlabar replied, turning from the man and jumping from an open window to get to Nesati faster. He made good time as he raced from building to building without regard for the strange scene that he was causing to those below that managed to get a glimpse of him. Without the penalty of walking, he made it back to Nesati in only five minutes and landed on the balcony of the second floor, further saving him time as he was already on the appropriate level. He hopped in through an open window and silently walked the rest of the way into his room, knocking on the door. An unhealthy grunt came from behind the door as Nesati slowly approached the other side and opened it, her dull eyes now filling with joy at the sight of the man that reunited her with nature and was now his lover.

"K! I was worried about you! Did the mage say anything?" she asked, her joy making way for curiosity.

"Nesa… You're going to want to sit down for this…" Katlabar replied, leaning back into a seat as he spoke.

"Why? What did he say?" she asked, her voice crackling with confusion and worry.

"You're fine… But you've gotten pregnant… That's why you've been getting ill all of the time…" Katlabar replied in a calm voice.

"But I don't wanna be pregnant! I don't wanna sit around for nine months while you go out with your friends! I wanna be with you!" she shouted, shaking her arms and legs like a five year old.

"If you don't want to have a child yet, maybe we could have the mage or a doctor fix that… And if you were going to have this baby, it would only have taken one month…"

"Wha-what?" she asked, frozen in her tracks by his words.

"The mage guessed that your pregnancy should come to term in about a month… And if you wanted to go through with it, I could have him craft a spell so you and I could always know how the other was doing… Or maybe, we could have him craft a spell to pause the progression? I don't know…"

"No… I… I want to have this baby… for you! If your Dumbass is going to die out there adventuring; I'm going to have you die knowing that I love you and that you were a father…" Nesati replied, lifting from her seat and walking up to Katlabar and kissing him on the lips passionately.

"You're strange… But I love you too… And first thing's first… I need to know that you will care for my – our child… I want to make sure that you won't hand it off to someone to care for it; that you won't dump it on… I don't know… the side of a river bank for some other fey to take… If we have this baby; you and I are going to care for it… In any way we can." He said sternly, holding her close by her shoulders. She looked in his eyes with an intensity that he'd never seen before and was immediately drawn into a kiss with her just by the look in her eyes.

Nesati giggled in the kiss and gave in to his desire to take control of this kiss in particular, allowing him to force his tongue into her mouth. He soon broke the kiss, causing her to sigh with disappointment as he walked to the door and opened it; his smile immediately dropping when he saw his friends all sitting in the hall waiting for him to open the door.

"Hey! We've been waiting here for a good five minutes! You two really do talk a lot, don't you?"

"What the hell are you all doing here!?" Katlabar asked, his eyes changing to a darker green.

"Hey! Calm down, man! There's no need to get all smitey! We were just trying to see why you were being so secretive!" Jabeddo replied, waving his hands frantically as Katlabar lifted him from the ground by his jacket and stared him down.

"And YOU!" he said, turning from Jabeddo and staring down Tianna with burning eyes as he pointed at the young changeling.

"Listen… I was powerless to resist! Jabeddo started using spells on me and forced me to tell them!" she shouted, covering her face as she began to cry as she was just as disappointed with herself as he was in her.

"Hey! Don't ever make her cry!" Falchion shouted, standing up and walking up to the Killoran.

"I didn't want to make her cry… You should go console her… She needs to know that nothing's really wrong right now… tell her I forgive her." Katlabar said in a soft voice when the Warforged man walked up to him. Falchion nodded almost imperceptivity and walked over to Tianna and pulled her into a hug, causing her to stop crying. "I don't hate you or even feel disappointment… you were forced… I'm sorry for making you feel so badly… Now… Everyone… help me restrain the Artificer…" Katlabar said in a dark tone, walking slowly toward the gnomish man.

"Uh… Now wait a minute! We can talk about this! Wait! NO!"

*THUD… Kathump*

"Damn, that felt good… I was getting tired of that little bastard's shit…" Shale said, cracking his knuckles. Everyone broke out in laughter at the sound of his relaxed voice.

"Okay everyone… We've got some important news; some news that will likely scare you; and some news that you all might think is one of the worst ideas you've ever heard… First: This is Nesati. My Wife. Second: She's a Nymph. And third: She's pregnant…" Katlabar said in a slightly ashamed voice that quickly disappeared when Nesati took his hand and kissed him on the cheek softly.

"That's great!" Tianna shouted, hopping out of Falchion's arms and hugging the two of them tightly, causing Nesati to cough uncontrollably as she fought for air. Tianna was oblivious to this fact until Falchion pulled her off of the couple and she heard them choking as they regained their breath. "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" she shouted, jumping into another hug around the two and hugging them even tighter.

"Tianna…" Falchion said in a stern voice.

"Eh?" she replied with a curios expression, opening her eyes to look at the man's eyes.

"You're doing it again…" he said impatiently. She shrieked and dropped the pair from the embrace and slinked back to Falchion's side with a heavy blush on her face.

"Whew!... Hey… I didn't know Changelings could blush in their native states!" Nesati shouted, her eyes sparkling with wonder before her stomach growled loudly and she froze for a moment before darting off into the bathroom and throwing up.

"Wow! How far along is she?" Falchion asked.

"About a day… Not even… Maybe six hours? She's only going to be pregnant for about a month…" Katlabar replied, causing everyone to stare with confusion. "What? Nymphs are weird like that… Nymph pregnancies can last anywhere from a month to a year…" Falchion just continued staring while Tianna's eye twitched and Shale just glared. "Alright… Let's just go… Nesati! You doing okay in there?" Katlabar shouted into the room, receiving a gurgle and before long, she rejoined the others and took Katlabar's hand and followed as the group out of the inn.

"Hey, K? I don't want to be cooped up all day in that boring room while I have to stay here and tend to the child… I want to settle in our little sanctuary… Is that okay?" Nesati whispered in his ear; Katlabar smiled and nodded. "YAY!" she shouted, clinging to his neck and grinning happily. "I'll be so careful! I'll give our baby as much attention as I possibly can and I'll protect it with my life!"

"Relax! I know you will! I even convinced the mage that very thing…" he said in a soothing voice. Nesati smiled again as they continued their walk to the Mage's Guild. However, just 20 feet from the guild, a small, dragonoid creature dropped in and began purring much like a cat as it lowered itself to the ground and paced back and forth.

"I-is that a baby Red Dragon?" Tianna asked as she carefully drew her sword.

"Charlie!" Nesati shouted, running up to the small creature and hugging it tightly, causing the purring to grow louder and raspier. "I haven't seen you in months! Oh, come here little guy!" she continued, rubbing the creature's stomach and scratching its chin; in response, it rolled onto its back and nibbled at her fingers for several moments before Nesati stood up and turned to the others. "Everyone, this is Charlie! He's my old Pseudodragon from when I was still living in the forests…" she said as she approached the others, the small creature following close behind. When she stopped, it hopped up onto her shoulder and began rubbing her face. "Charlie, say hello to my Husband and his friends. (He's the Killoran.)" she said to the small dragon-like creature. It looked angrily at Katlabar before staring at the others, a less level of bemusement in its eyes.

"I suppose I should say hello… As you all know: I'm Charles. Who are you?" a strange, disembodied voice permeated everyone's thoughts as the creature's purring subsided and changed to a small chirp.

"That thing can talk?!" everyone shouted in unison, their eyes wide with surprise.

"Of course he can! He's a Pseudodragon, not an idiot!" Nesati replied slightly annoyed, as well, Charlie was creating a soft growl.

"Alright… My name is Tianna… I'm a Changeling and—

-Yes. I know what you are… And you're a Warforged, you're a Gnome, you're a Stonechild… Tell me something I don't know… Like why is Mistress Nesati in the middle of a city instead of her sanctuary?!" the small beast shouted, its growl becoming more detectable.

"She's here because she doesn't have a sanctuary left… All that's left of it is her little tree… We've made sure that the tree cannot die, but she is very weak because of it… And as you may already know… She's pregnant. With my child." Katlabar replied, beaming a glare at the small, rude dragonoid.

"Boys… stop fighting like children… We have a reason for being here… Shall we?" Nesati asked impatiently. Katlabar and Charlie stopped their staring contest and looked away from one another. _(This next month is going to be brutal…)_ she thought to herself. They all walked into the Mage's Guild together and met the same old man at the counter as the last two times.

"Ah! Yes! The Nymph girl and her lover! And your friends, too! How nice to meet you all!" the mage shouted from across the desk, leaning over it to inspect the others as they kept their distance. "And a Pseudodragon as well? You are certainly an intriguing group! Would you all come with me…" the mage said as he got up from his chair and began to lead the group into his study.

"Now… This spell is called Lifebond. After which, the both of you, if you truly are in love, will be able to know the location and health of the other… And for the times that the two of you wish to talk to one another; here… A pair of attuned Aspect Mirrors… Just look at the mirror and you can see and hear what is currently happening on the other end of the other mirror… Great for long-distance relationships! Anyway… the cost of all of this together will… be… 15,000 Gold… Sound reasonable?" he asked with a soft voice.

"Guys? Could you chip in? I'm not going to be able to recover from a hit like that to my coin purse… Please?" Katlabar asked, his forest green eyes creating an irresistible pout; which only got stronger as Nesati and Charlie joined in…

"Fine!" The others all shouted collectively, each pulling out 300 platinum and handing it to Katlabar, who also pulled out his own 300 and handed the purses of platinum pieces to the man.

"Very good… Now then… you two, stand here and here… and everyone else; including you, little one, stand over there…" Then there was a bright flash and when it was gone, an aura was flowing from each of the Fey and bonding perfectly into a green and white mist. "It appears that the spell was successful… Here are the mirrors... Have a good day!"

"You two! And what's your name, by the way?" Katlabar asked as the group slowly made their way out of the study.

"Ah, that's right! You all don't know my name! I'm Sebastian. And I look forward to seeing you all again someday!" the mage shouted to the party as they made their way out of the guild hall.

"So… What should we do now? I didn't really have anything else planned for today aside from making sure that Nesati here was healthy…" Katlabar asked as the doors closed behind the group.

"Well after being knocked out for a while by this heavy-handed statue, I'd like to just take some time and relax for a while: Any objections?" Jabeddo asked, rubbing the back of his head, wincing at the pain.

"I haven't been allowed to do anything all day! I wanna go do something fun!" Nesati shouted, waving her arms like a child before her stomach grumbled and she blushed. "Also, I haven't eaten since breakfast and I am really hungry… K? Can we go back to that restaurant?"

"You really like their stew, don't you?" Katlabar asked, rubbing her head playfully, like she were a child.

She puffed her cheeks like a kid and looked down, her cheeks also retaining their heavy blush. "I'm not a kid!" she shouted, looking away from her husband out of mock hurt; Charlie rubbing tenderly against her cheek.

"Oh, I know… _My Lovely…_" Katlabar replied, causing her to look to him, her blush intensifying as she froze at his words. He smiled, taking his hand off of her head and placing it on her head. "If you were a kid, I'd go away for a long time…"

"Well… I think it would be me that goes away… You are only 11 years old…" she said in a soft voice, kissing hem lovingly.

"Ha… Like you would ever go to jail… Even as weak as you are, you could charm your way out of nearly anything, couldn't you?"

"Yeah… You're right about that… I don't need to blind other creatures with my beauty to make an escape, do I?" Nesati replied, her eyes half closing and her lips brushing against his as she leaned in again.

"Nope… Alright everyone… Let's go get something to eat and work out what we all can do to pass the time around here…" Katlabar said in a resolute voice.

The others all nodded in agreement and followed him and Nesati towards the restaurant that they pair had been several times before.

End Chapter 5: Pawns in Place.


End file.
